Combined refrigerator and ice-cream freezer



Feb. 3, l93 l. l A. FL sAwYER l,791,041

UOMBINED REFRIGERATOR AND ICE CREAM FREEZER Filed Sept. 27, 1929 /2Invenor.

Parent-Seb. y3, 1931 UNITED STATES AT .BERT E. SAWYEE, E

PMFENT' OFFICE HAvEEHTLL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOE To IEvING L. HEiTH,

0E HAVERHTLL, MASSACHUSETTS Application led September 27, 1929. SerialNo. 395,560.

, non-freezing liquid, usually called the brine' tank, is usuallylocated in the top portion of the ordinary domestic refrigerator and isusually accessible through a front door only, necessitating the locationof the freezer container in a horizontal position, in which posi-- tionit is not only difficult to ll the container with the liquid to befrozen, but also the removal thereof is attended with some difficulty.It is also frequently inconvenient to operate the stirring device in theposition in which the container is necessarily held, and

it is necessary to have the door of the refrigerator open while turningthe stirring device.

The objects ofthe present invention are to obviate the difficulties orobjections above referred to, and, at the saine time, to provide a meanswhich will enable the usual inconvenience to be avoided which areincident to freezing ic'e cream by means of mixed ice and Salt, and toenable the operation to be performed much more rapidly than with theusual methods.

I accomplish the objects by theA means and in the manner hereinafterrdescribed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: I

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of an ordinary refrigerator brine tankembodying my in-v vention. FFig. 2 is a sectional view at line 2--2 ofFig. 3 is a detail view, in side elevation partly broken away, of thefreezing unit.

' In the drawing a brine tank 1, which may be of any Suitable form,is'illustrated, which will be filled with a liquid which does not freezeat the temperature to which it is likely to be lowered. i

According to my invention Said tank is provided with a cylindricalrecess which opens to the front side wall of the tankrand is formed by ametal, cylindrical wall 3 which extends horizontally therein and isclosed at its inner end, the outer end or the rim thereof beingsoldered,or otherwise permanently connected to theside of the Vtankabout said opening, ,so as to form a liquid tight connection therewith.The temperature in the brine tank may be maintained at any point whichis considered necessary, by any suitable means, preferably by anexpansion coil arrangement similar to that disclosed in my saidapplication, and comprising a primary coil 4, which is arranged aboutthe wall 3 in close contact therewith, and a main coil 5 which isconnected to the coil 4, in series, so that when the refrigerant passesthrou h the expansion valve 6, ,it first flows throug the coil 4', andthen through the coil 5 before it passes to the exhaust side of thecircuit. The temperature of the coil 4 about the wall 3 will thus besomewhat lower than the temperature In other portions ofthe tank.

I further provide a cylindrical metalreceptacle 7 having a bottom 8, anda top 9, said receptacle being adapted to be fitted somewhat looselyinto the recess enclosed by wall 3. The top 9 is provided with a centralcircular opening into which a metal cylindrical container 10 is fitted,a permanent liquid tight joint beingprovided between said top andthe-side of the container, and a series of radially. disposed metal ribs11 are provided between theouter surface of the container 10 and theinner Surface of the receptacle 7 which extend for approximately thelength of the container and have a solderedv joint connection with oneof said Surfaces and engage the other.

A series of similarribs 12 are also provided between the bottom of thecontainer and the bottom 8 of the receptacle, the edges of saidribsbeing permanently connected to one or the other thereof. A liquidtight jacket is thus provided entirely about the sides and inner end ofthe container, a filling opening therefor being provided in the to 9which is closed by means of a plug 13. closure 14 iS provided on theouter end of the container and a rotary stirrer 15 having a crank 16 iscle will be inserted in the recess of the tank,

supported, the sides of said receptacle being \conneeted to the sides ofthe container adas indicated in Fig. 1. As a result, the temperature ofthe liquid in the receptacle will be reduced approximately to thetemperature of the coil about the wall 3, and the relative freezingpoint of theliquid and the temperature to which it will be reduced.will,preferably, be such that the liquid will become semifrozen, or changedto slush ice, with which condition the most satisfactory results, for

the purpose, will be secured.

When cream, or other liquid is to be frozen, the receptacle will beremoved from the recess in the tankl and placed on its bottom, as inFig. 3, and then the container will be-filled and-the stirrer will beturned until the contents have been suiiciently frozen, the action ofthe semi-frozen liquid in the receptacle, which at the beginning of theoperation will ordinarily be approximately zero F., being the same as ifthe receptacle contained a mixture of ice and salt, except that thefreezing action will be much more rapid than with ice and salt, as, withthe latter, the freezing temperature is usually not secured until astrong brine has been formed, while the inconvenlence of preparing thismixture is entirely obviated.

When the contents of the container has been frozen sufiiciently, thereceptacle and container will be reinserted in the recess of the brinetank, where the freezing operation may be continued, and the frozencondition of the contents may be maintained indefinitely.

The freezing operation may be performed while the removable parts areinserted in the recess of the tank, and, while this operation might thusbe performed somewhat more.

quickly, it will usually be much more convenient to operate thestirringdevice while the parts are removed. However, by having thecontainersurrounded with ice, or semi-fluid ice at a temperature muchlower than the freezing point of water the rapidity with which thefreezing operation will be performed will be greatly facilitated, ascompared with the results which would be secured ifvthe container weredirectly fitted to the recess in the tank.

I claim:

point of which approximately-corresdponds to the freezing temperaturerequire in the container, and a refrigerating device having a recessadapted to receive said receptacle and to reduce the temperature of theliquid in said chamber to the desired point.

, '2. A freezing device of the character described comprisin a containerhaving a stirring device an aclosure for the top end thereof, areceptacle entirely enclosing said container, except at the top thereof,the sides of the receptacle being connected to the sides of thecontainer at the top ends thereof and providing a liquid tight chamberabout the sides and bottom of the container, said chamber having'alowpoint freezing liquid thcre` in and a refrigerating device 11a-ving arecess adapted to receive said receptacle and reduce the temperature ofthe liquid therein to the temperature -required to freeze the contentsof the container. y

3; A freezing device of the character described comprising a containerhaving a stirring device and a closure for the top end thereof, areceptacle entirely enclosing said container, except at the top thereof,the sides of the receptacle being connected to the sides of thecontainer at the top endsthereof and providing` a liquid tight chamberabout the sides and bottom of the container, said charnber having a lowpoint freezing liquid thereon, a series of heat conducting ins extendingbetween the sides of the containerand the sides of the receptacle Withinsaid chamber, and a refrigerating tank having a recess therein openingto one side thereof and into which said receptacle is adapte'd to beloosely tted to reduce the temperature of the liquid in the receptacleto the temperature required to freeze the contents of the container.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ALBERT F. SAWYER.

1. A freezing device of the character described comprising a containerhavlng'a closure at its top and a stirring device therefor, a receptaclewithin which said container 1s jacent the closure thereof to provide aliquid tight chamber about tlle container, said chamber having a liquidtherein, the freezing

